Hawk-Item – – One of 10 true freshmen to see action in 2016 . . . earned Dean’s List recognition, fall, 2018 . . . member of 2019 Leadership Group.
2019 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten for second year . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten by league coaches and media . . . Permanent Team Captain, defense . . . Hayden Fry Award, defense . . . Coaches Appreciation Award, defense . . . Big Ten Defensive Player of the Wee vs. Minnesota by CollegeSportsMadness.com . . . preseason fourth-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele . . . 2019 – – Started at middle linebacker in all 10 games in which he played, missing three games due to injury . . . led team with 87 tackles, including 44 solo stops and 43 assists . . . also had nine tackles for loss and three sacks, three pass break-ups, one recovered fumble and one forced fumble . . . started at middle linebacker in 38-14 win over Miami as defense allowed just 59 net rushing yards . . . eight tackles vs. Miami, including four solo stops and four assists . . . started at middle linebacker in 30-0 win over Rutgers as defense allowed just 125 yards total offense . . . led team with eight tackles vs. Rutgers, including four solo stops and four assists, including one shared tackle for loss and one QB pressure . . . started at middle linebacker in 18-17 win at Iowa State . . . six tackles at Iowa State, including two solo stops and four assists . . . also recorded one QB sack . . . started at middle linebacker in 48-3 win over Middle Tennessee as defense allowed just 216 yards total offfense . . . led team with nine tackles vs. MTSU, including four solo stops, five assists, and a shared tackle for loss . . . started at middle linebacker in 10-3 loss at #18 Michigan . . . eight tackles at Michigan, including five solo stops and three assists . . . started at middle linebacker in 17-12 loss to #9 Penn State . . . eight tackles vs. PSU, including three solo stops and five assists . . . one tackle for loss vs. PSU and one pass break-up . . . did not see action in 26-20 win over Purdue due to injury . . . did not see action in 20-0 win at Northwestern due to injury . . . did not see action in 24-22 loss at #16 Wisconsin due to injury . . . returned to starting line-up at middle linebacker in 23-19 win over #7 Minnesota as defense allowed just 63 net rushing yards . . . matched career-high with 11 tackles vs. Minnesota, including six solo stops and five assists . . . 1.5 tackles for loss vs. Minnesota, including one sack, along with one pass break-up . . . started at middle linebacker in 19-10 win over Illinois . . . team-leading and career-high 12 tackles vs. Illinois . . . 10 solo stops and two assists vs. Illinois, including 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack . . . forced fumble in the fourth quarter led to Iowa field goal . . . started at middle linebacker in 27-24 win at Nebraska . . . 10 tackles at Nebraska, including four solo stops and career-best six assists, with career-high two tackles for loss and one pass break-up . . . reached double figures in tackles for third straigt game following injury . . . started at middle linebacker in 49-24 Holiday Bowl win over #22 USC . . . seven tackles vs. USC, including two solo stops and five assists, with 1.5 tackles for loss . . . recovered USC fumble at the six-yard line, leading to Iowa touchdown.
2018 Honors – – Academic all-Big Ten . . . 2018 – – Saw action in 12 games, with three starts at middle linebacker and three starts at weakside position . . . recorded 49 tackles, with one sack, one interception, one pass break-up, one forced fumble and one recovered fumble . . . started at weakside linebacker in 33-7 win over Northern Illinois as defense allowed just 211 yards total offense . . . career-best 11 tackles vs. NIU, including seven solo stops and four assists . . . also recorded one sack and a forced fumble . . . did not see action in 13-3 win over Iowa State due to injury . . . started at weakside linebacker in 38-14 win over Northern Iowa as defense allowed just six net rushing yards and 222 yards total offense . . . led team with eight tackles vs. UNI, including four solo stops and four assists, along with one recovered fumble . . . started at weakside linebacker in 28-17 loss to #18 Wisconsin . . . seven tackles vs. the Badgers, including three solo stops and four assists . . . saw action in 48-31 win at Minnesota, recording one assisted tackle as defense allowed just 86 net rushing yards . . . started at middle linebacker in 42-16 win at Indiana as defense allowed just 67 net rushing yards . . . recorded eight tackles at Indiana, including four solo stops and four assists, along with one pass break-up . . . started at middle linebacker in 23-0 win over Maryland as defense allowed just 39 offensive plays and 115 yards total offense . . . five tackles vs. Maryland, including three solo stops and two assists . . . saw action in 30-24 loss at #17 Penn State . . . recorded three tackles at Penn State, including two solo stops and one assist . . . saw action in 38-36 loss at Purdue, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 14-10 loss to Northwestern, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 63-0 win at Illinois at defense allowed just 216 yards total offense . . . five tackles at Illinois, including two solo stops and three assists . . . recorded first interception of the season with a 15 yard return at Illinois and shared one sack . . . saw action in 31-28 win over Nebraska, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 27-22 Outback Bowl win over #18 Mississippi State, but had no statistics.
2017 – – Did not see action in 24-3 win over Wyoming . . . did not see action in 44-41 OT win at Iowa State . . . saw action in 31-14 win over North Texas, but had no statistics . . . saw action on special teams in 21-19 loss to #4 Penn State, but had no statistics . . . saw action on special teams in 17-10 loss at Michigan State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 45-16 win over Illinois, matching career-best with two tackles, including one solo stop and one assist . . . saw action in 17-10 OT loss at Northwestern, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 17-10 win over Minnesota, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 281 yards total offense . . . saw action in 55-24 win over #3 Ohio State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 38-14 loss at #6 Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 24-15 loss to Purdue, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 56-14 win at Nebraska as defense allowed 67 rushing yards and just 267 yards total offense . . . career-high three tackles at Nebraska, including two solo tackles and one assist . . . first career interception and 33 yard return at Nebraska . . . saw action in 27-20 Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 21 net rushing yards and 102 yards total offense in the second half.
2016 – – Saw action in all 13 games, recording two solo tackles and one assist . . . saw first action of career in 45-21 win over Miami, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 42-3 win over Iowa State, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 291 yards total offense . . . saw action in 23-21 loss to North Dakota State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 14-7 win at Rutgers but had no statistics as defense allowed just one touchdown . . . saw action in 38-31 loss to Northwestern, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 14-7 win at Minnesota, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 102 net rushing yards and 268 yards total offense . . . saw action in 49-35 win at Purdue, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 47 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 17-9 loss to #10 Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 41-14 loss at #12 Penn State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 14-13 win over #2 Michigan as defense allowed just 201 yards total offense . . . saw action in 28-0 win at Illinois, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 61 net rushing yards and 198 yards total offense . . . saw action in 40-10 win over #15 Nebraska, recording career-best two solo tackles as defense allowed just 90 net rushing yards and 217 yards total offense . . . saw action in 30-3 Outback Bowl loss to #17 Florida, but had no statistics.
High School honors — Earned all-state and all-region honors as a senior . . . first-team all-conference linebacker and running back as a junior and senior . . . honorable mention all-conference linebacker as a sophomore . . . team defensive MVP as a senior . . . Career — Played both linebacker and running back, helping team reach state playoffs for three straight years . . . rushed 85 times for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior, while recording 75 tackles on defense . . . rushed 120 times for 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior with 65 tackles on defense . . . as a sophomore rushed 100 times for 980 yards and nine touchdowns, while compiling 45 tackles . . . rushed 15 times for 200 yards and a touchdown as a freshman . . . team captain as a junior and senior . . . also competed for prep basketball team, serving as team captain and earning team MVP honors.
Personal — Born 5/24/98… open major… earned academic High Honors throughout prep career… parents are Mary and Tim Welch… high school coach was Scott Erickson.